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New Research From OTX and eCRUSH Shows Teens' Practicality with Mobile

OTX (Online Testing eXchange), a leading global consumer research and consulting firm, released new results from its Teen Topix study.

The Teen Topix survey taps into the complex lives of the 13-17 year old set and is done in conjunction with eCRUSH, a leading PG-13 social networking site. 750 teens across the country were surveyed about their mobile phone preferences and behavior.

A key finding of the study was insight into the way cell phones make teens 'feel' and the benefits they get from cell phone ownership. When asked about benefits, a majority of teens cited reasons such as 'convenience of being able to communicate from anywhere (77%)' and 'security of being able to reach family (75%)' as major benefits. Much lower on the list were friends' admiration of their cell phone features (41%) or look (39%). When asked specifically how cell phones made them 'feel', teens again opted for connectivity with friends (71%), connectivity with family (63%) and being responsible (61%), over important (31%), fashionable (30%), or trendy (27%). How does owning a cell phone make you feel Total Teens Connected with friends 71% Connected with family 63% Responsible 61% Safe 58% Cool 46% Like I fit in with everyone else 34% High tech 33% Important 31% Fashionable 30% Trendy 27% Older than I actually am 17% Too accessible 10% Concerned about potential health hazards related to using the phone 4% Benefits of owing a cell phone Total Teens The convenience of being able to communicate from 77% anywhere The security of always being able to reach my family 75% The convenience of never being out of touch 72% The ability to multitask 63% The fun of having entertainment on the go (games, music, video) on my phone 56% The ability to express myself by adding wallpaper, ringtones or skins 53% My friends admire my phone because of the features it has 41% My friends admire my phone because of the way it looks 39% "This release of Teen Topix sheds new light on many marketers' image of teens," said Amy Gibby, President of eCRUSH. "Its not all about 'look' and 'fashion' when it comes to this category, teens are practical and look for many of the same benefits we all do." The study also found that of all the gadgets and devices available today, the cell phone is a teen favorite. 51% of teens said they "absolutely could not live without" their cell phones. When teens were asked about the mobile phone features they have and use, text messaging was overwhelmingly cited as the feature they use most (72%), followed by the ability to customize wall paper (72%), take digital pictures (63%), and play games which come with the phone (56%). Much lower on the list was downloading music (36%), and downloading videos (22%) Text messaging was also cited as the feature teens want most (among those that don't have this feature), well ahead of taking digital pictures, downloading music, or using an instant messenger program.

And, cell phones are rapidly becoming the "new" medium for viewing music videos! 41% of teens surveyed have video downloading capability on their cell phones and approximately half of those teens are actually downloading and viewing videos. Among these teens, music videos are the most watched type (67%), followed by user generated content (27%), full length TV shows (24%) and clips from TV shows (24%). 31% of teens who watch video on their cell phones also reported that their consumption of TV, DVDs, and movies has not decreased. "As media companies move into the mobile space, it's critically important to understand how the teen demographic uses mobile technology for entertainment and the extent to which this usage affects their other media and leisure time behaviors," said Bruce Friend, President, Media and Entertainment Insights for OTX.

What type of videos are you watching on your cell phone?

Music videos 67%

User generated content (videos like the ones you can watch on YouTube.com) 27%

Full length TV shows 24%

Clips from TV shows 24%

Movie trailers 23%

Full length movies 23%

News clips 12%

Other 4%

Since you have been watching videos on your cell phone, do you do any of the following less often?

Watch DVDs 27%

Watch TV 27%

See movies in a theater 26%

Watch video on my MP3 player (video iPod or Zune) 25%

Watch video on my computer (desktop or laptop) 22%

None of the above 31% About OTX (Online Testing eXchange)

OTX (Online Testing eXchange) is a global consumer research and consulting firm that has established itself as a leading provider of online-based research. The company specializes in providing innovative, cutting-edge online technology, products and analysis to the marketing, entertainment and advertising communities. OTX has developed the most innovative products available for online research today -- products that work to uncover deeper and more profound consumer insight. Today the company is one of the fastest growing research companies in the United States and has offices in Los Angeles, New York, Cincinnati, Miami, Chicago and London, with strategic partners in Japan, Australia, Russia and China. About eCRUSH The eCRUSH Network, acquired by Hearst Magazines Digital Media in January 2007, is a group of PG-13 sites related to universal truths of crushing, flirting, and all forms of teen connectivity. -- eCRUSH(R) is the original "crush" site -- a way for users to find out anonymously if someone they like feels the same about them, with no chance of rejection. The site launched on Valentine's Day 1999, and has matched close to 1MM users. -- eSPIN(R) is a profile-based site that offers the old junior-high game with a modern twist. Designed with safety in mind (all youth submissions are screened to remove any personally identifiable information and inappropriate content before they can be posted), this is the premier way for gen-Y to connect, flirt and make new friends online. Launched in 2001, eSPIN-the-Bottle(TM) has over 2,500,000 users and is growing rapidly. -- Surveys4Teens is an email based resource for teens who are interested in age-appropriate research. Surveys4Teens has a unique audience of over 250,000 teens. For more information contact: Ajay Durani adurani@otxresearch.com 212-886-5934 Lindsay Galin lgalin@hearst.com 212-649-2145